𝑫𝒀𝑵𝑨𝑺𝑻𝒀 𝑶𝑭 𝑺𝑶𝑼𝑳𝑺 ⇢ Gojo Satoru

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐗𝐈𝐗 - 𝐀 𝐑𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐎𝐒

KINZOKU KEISUKE AND MIKAZUKI WERE GLORIOUS. There was something about the way they moved, the way in which they glided across the dancefloor capturing everyone's attention. The first dance was Kinzoku tradition and, instructed by their father's script, the twins had indulged in it, taking to the dancefloor and falling into a well-practiced routine.

The twins didn't get to dance often and neither of them had time to practice prior to the spectacle. Somehow, it didn't matter. They were glorious – there was no other way to explain it, the way they fit together, like instead of two individuals dancing, the crowd was gazing at a single soul.

Asahi could get lost in it, watching them dance. Kei and Mikazuki had a special connection, a synchronization unlike any other. It was both the gift and the curse of the clan. The Kinzoku had stood atop the pyramid of power for multiple millennia, but it wasn't their power to summon gold which bestowed them with the position. No, it was their twins. One soul, two bodies. One mind, two vessels.

The King of Sorcerers watched, mesmerized, like he'd never seen something quite like it. He had, of course. How could he not, when he himself had once been a twin? But that was a long time ago, and his sister was no longer part of this world or any other.

The man continued to stare, completely captured by the display as his golden gaze followed the twins. Keisuke reminded him of himself, he was the mirror image of his younger self, back when everything was easy, and he hadn't yet known the thirst for power.

Mikazuki was different, though. There was power in her, that was undeniable, but she was pliable, naïve. She didn't have the spine her brother did, nor the inherent ability to lead that was expected of a Kinzoku. She was an anomaly, in a way, a creation made from the darkest time of the Kinzoku, a vestige of a time past that did not belong to this world.

Asahi was so enraptured in the dance he barely noticed the presence slowly slithering by his side. It wasn't until Léa's arm brushed against his that his gold reacted, the thin layer of his Eternity materializing out of thin air to stop the contact. Léa smiled, lips pulled tight as she tipped her champagne glass towards him in greeting. Asahi kept his line of sight on the twins, yet he was still able to see the woman in his peripheral vision.

As always, Léa was flawless, her brown hair pulled in a tight ponytail, her lips painted a dark red shade while she wore a long blue satin gown. The sorceress' smile widened upon sensing the man's gaze, a satisfied expression settling over her features. Despite being a woman of young age, Léa was still regarded as one of the most powerful sorceresses in the world and her position on The Magistrate was a testament to that.

Asahi thoroughly disliked the woman, yet he couldn't deny the power oozing out from her like lead which encapsulated the whole dancefloor in a wave of untampered Cursed Energy. The Kinzoku didn't trust her for a second, but he wasn't foolish enough to deny her attentions when he could use her for his benefit.

Léa nodded towards the dancefloor, clutching her bag under her arm as her eyes narrowed.

"So..." she began, her thick French accent butchering each word as she spoke. "This is what you've been scheming these past couple of months." Her gaze swept over the twins, an evil glint in her eyes. "I must say, I'm surprised, I didn't think you had the guts to pull it off so soon after what happened."

Asahi didn't answer. He couldn't, not when Léa was hanging from every word. She wanted him to talk, to elaborate on what had happened, possibly to get some evidence against his family. But the Kinzoku wasn't foolish enough to provide her with this ammunition, which is why his lips remained sealed and his mouth shut. This was his game, after all, and silence was one of his best moves. Léa must have noticed too, tilting her head to the side as she regarded him with slanted eyes.

"Oh, do not fool me with your silence, mon chéri." She shrugged, taking a sip from her flute as she scooted closer to the man. "I cannot help the rumours that surround your daughter any more than you can."

Asahi's expression remained unchanged.

"I didn't take you for someone who listens to gossip." He strained through gritted teeth.

Léa didn't miss a beat, pushing a stray strand of hair aside as her tone darkened, a whisk of power behind each word.

"And I didn't take you for a liar, but that's what people are calling you these days." Her eyes sharpened, as did the power rumbling at her fingertips.

She didn't care that no one called Kinzoku Asahi a liar and got away with it. She wasn't one of the ton, she wasn't a simpleminded sorceress nor someone that could be pushed around easily. She was Léa Dubois, and the power running through her veins was just as old as the one flowing in Asahi's. In this moment, inside of this ballroom, she was the one holding all the cards.

Asahi knew this as well, which was probably the only reason why he didn't turn around and strangle the woman. He wanted to, he wanted it almost as much as he needed air to breathe, but he reigned in the feeling and kept his expression smug instead. He would not let her win, not even at this twisted game of theirs.

"I'll admit, even I had some doubts." Léa began again, her eyes now solely focused on Mikazuki. "But after what happened... well, I'm sure you understand why The Magistrate is hesitant to hand her the title of special-grade."

Rumours spread like wildfire in this society and like the scalding flames of a fire, they burned everything they came in contact with. The Magistrate had made their intentions towards his daughter clear from before she was born, but as time passed, doubts began to grow. Some even dared to call him a liar. A fabricator. That was the cruel fate that befell the Edamura, their tragedy turned into a warning for those who dared to speak against him.

After that, it would have been so easy to let the lie die out. He could have kept his mouth shut and let the rumour mill fade away, but Asahi wasn't an easy man, and so, he chose to fan the flames of the fire, instead. It was easy, at first, but when people started asking questions, things got complicated. And maybe the truth would have come out in the end, but that was before Mikazuki made her move.

She didn't even know about the web of lies Asahi had carefully crafted around her for eighteen long years, and yet, she singlehandedly managed to cement what had once been a veiled rumour into truth. It didn't matter that his plans were interfering with her future, it didn't matter that the lie he'd spined were turning into fear, not as long as he could use it for his own benefit. Everything was going according to plan.

"You know, I find it strange." Léa cut in and Asahi suddenly found himself being dragged back into reality. "You've never denied or confirmed any of the rumours. You just... let them run rampant. What could you possibly have to gain from that?"

The question irked him. He wanted to reach out and put his hands around her throat, crushing her windpipe until her annoying voice cracked. Since he couldn't do that, he opted for something else instead.

"Careful, there." He warned, his tone icy despite his honeyed voice. "You're walking awfully close to Edamura territory."

Léa crossed her arms in front of her chest, her expression as hard as steel.

"I am not afraid of your threats, Asahi."

He chuckled, leaning in so their conversation wouldn't be heard by anyone outside of their little bubble. Léa stiffened, feeling the sudden urge to step back, but her curiosity got the best of her, so she steeled her spine, unmoving under his hard gaze as he bent down.

"It's not me you should be afraid of." He nodded towards his innocent daughter as the dance was wrapping up, her hand linked with that of her twin brother. "Because there will come a day where I will no longer be able to hold her back. And, when that time comes... she will rip us all to shreds."

"And how do you propose we control her... urges?" Léa asked, her tone kind despite the hardness in her hazelnut gaze.

"Leave that to me. Mikazuki might be the strongest sorceress in existence, but she is still my daughter."